The Pharmaceutical Journal
Vol 270 No 7242 p430
29 March 2003

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New mothers who do not return to work add to hospital staffing problems

Increasing numbers of hospital pharmacists and technicians who chose not to return to work after taking maternity leave are adding to existing staffing problems, according to a new survey. It has been estimated that only half of women pharmacists and a quarter of technicians return to work after the birth of their children.

The National Health Service pharmacy education and development committee used its pharmacy staffing survey for 2001–02 to look at where staff are being recruited from and where they go when they leave existing posts. In responses from 230 of the 246 hospital pharmacies in England, Wales and Scotland, a total of 1,531 members of staff (1,334.2 whole time equivalents) were identified as having left their jobs in the year to 31 July 2002. Of these, 36 per cent moved to other jobs within hospital pharmacy. The most common reasons for leaving the hospital service were maternity leave (15 per cent of all posts), travelling or undertaking locum work (11 per cent) and unspecified reasons (12 per cent).

In a commentary to the survey results, the committee says: "Maternity leave is clearly a major factor in recruitment and retention. The effect is greater because these whole time equivalent figures are the proportion of time lost over the whole year; the number of persons missing at any one time is probably greater and more relevant." It adds that the common observation is that the number of pharmacists returning to practice after a career break does not make up for the losses. Those returning often do so on a part-time basis. Problems around pharmacy technicians are similar but slightly lower in magnitude, it says.

Looking at other ways in which pharmacists may leave the hospital service, the survey found that the number moving to primary care is small (0.7 per cent) but these tend to be more experienced staff. There was little evidence of a mass exodus to community pharmacy with more pharmacists being recruited (131 wte) than leaving (41 wte), although others may have gone into community work as locums without saying so at the time of leaving.

Three-quarters of the departments that responded said that they would either not meet targets or not be able to offer services because of staff shortages. Failing to meet National Service Framework for Older People targets was mentioned by around half. Services under threat include one-stop dispensing and use of patients' own drugs, and longer dispensary opening hours or on-call and residency services.